BLOG: Are You Addicted?

I was left in the dark this recently due to the destructive nature of Hurricane Sandy. I had some quiet time to work on a new class called ‘Are You Addicted?’ which will cover our relationship with sugar, caffeine, cacao and why we feel the need to be stimulated.

Take a walk down any street in New York and you will find a Starbucks or coffee house. Even in the East Village when there is no power I see the happy faces of those carrying their sort after cup of joe. I have for the most part avoided caffeine for over 20 years. I remember when each day consisted of that morning coffee and the need for it to get my day going. Recently, I have felt the need for an occasional green tea when it is a rainy day or if I have a long day at Gravity East Village, my Colon Hydro-therapy office in New York. I found myself starting to look forward to it and having a headache if I drank it more then 2 times a week. We hear all the positive claims about green tea. High in anti-oxidants, doesn’t interfere with iron absorption, less acidic than coffee, less cognitive decline, less caffeine then coffee. I started to wonder about this need or dependency on stimulants. Are we fooling ourselves to think they are harmless so we can continue having them guilt-free?

Energy. Honestly, true energy is acquired from rest and sleep. When we drink our coffee/teas looking to be more alert and have better endurance performance it’s about what we a lacking. Our lives are stressful. Get up and go, keep going, keep working, pack it all in, take care of children/spouses/home and yourself. Then, sleep, which is not always enough for many people. So, having one or more cups of caffeine can keep the battery juiced. I get it. Then, once you are addicted you gotta have it because you will feel awful if you stop. Caffeine is a drug. It is a poison that the body needs to eliminate by urine/sweat in the form of uric acid. We go into a detox/withdrawal once we stop having it. Then, if consumed the ill feelings go away and we feel great once we get our fix.

For every 6 ounce cup of coffee you may lose 5 mg of calcium, add milk and you have made the situation worse. It reduces the body to use dietary (non-heme) Iron by as much as 40% if you drink one cup of coffee.

Have you ever drank too much coffee and started trembling all over? Well, your kidneys will work overtime to expel the poison that will weaken and degenerate the kidneys overtime. All this stimulation will put stress on your heart, nervous system and blood pressure will go up temporarily. How healthy can it be to have a ritual each day that overtaxes the body on a regular basis?

In America, 9 out of 10 people drink coffee. Then, watch how irritable people become when they don’t have it. Caffeine creates a state of crisis. It drives the adrenal glands to produce stress hormones that can remain in the blood for 18 hours after consumption. The cortisol that is pumped out involves a fight or flight response. Energy is sent to the muscles to prepare for the crisis. This reduces immunity and health promoting hormones. Energy for metabolic function is depleted by caffeine toxemia.

Solutions? Stop drinking coffee. Can switch to a Yerba mate or green tea that has less caffeine for a while. Get the juicer making some green drinks. That is a healthy pick-me up! Look at your thyroid and adrenal gland health and get some natural support. Exercise. Get enough sleep. Take an afternoon power nap. And find ways to simplify your life to create less stress for a happier you!

My class will be offered in the near future and there will be much more information that covers this topic. Thanks for reading!